The Lagos State House of Assembly on Tuesday described the sudden death of a member, Mr Abdul-Sobur Olawale, who died at 58, as a heavy blow below the belt.

It said the passage had thrown the House into mourning.

The Chairman, House Committee on Information, Strategy and Security, Mr Setonji David, made this known in a statement in Lagos.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Olawale was the chairman, House Committee on Local Government and Community Relations and a second term lawmaker.

ALSO READ: Sobur Olawale: What you need to know about Lagos lawmaker who slumped and danced on Tuesday

Olawale, popularly known as ‘Omititi’, who reportedly slumped during the APC rally in Plateau, was confirmed dead at the hospital where he was rushed to.

APC had held a campaign in Plateau for its presidential candidate and running mate, Sen. Bola Tinubu and Mr Kashim Shettima, respectively, on Tuesday.

The lawmaker had lost the APC House of Assembly Mushin II third term bid ticket for 2023 election to a former Mushin Local Government Sole Administrator, Mr Yinka Esho-Kazeem.

Olawale played in a novelty football match as a goalkeeper on Friday to celebrate the 50th birthday of the Speaker of the house, Mr Mudashiru Obasa.

David said Olawale left them unexpectedly and threw the whole house, his constituency and the party into mourning.

”It is with deep sadness, sense of loss and heavy hearts that we inform you of the death of our colleague and friend, Olawale, representing Mushin Il who died in Tuesday.

”Olawale, who is a second term lawmaker left us unexpectedly and threw the house into mourning.

” We will all miss him more than words can express. We urge you to join us in prayers for his family at this time,” he said.

The lawmaker is survived by a wife and three children.

Lagos House of Assembly had denied unfounded report that it had secretly passed a Sharia Bill to get Northerners support for the APC Presidentia
l Candidate, Sen. Bola Tinubu.
The Chairman, House Committee on Information, Security and Strategy, Mr Setonji David, made this known in a statement on Wednesday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that an online medi had reported that the assembly hurriedly passed a bill to set up Sharia courts, paving way for Sharia law in Lagos state which had been signed into law by the current state governor.
David, representing Badagry II, said the report was a mere figment of the imagination of the writer and a total lie from the pit of hell.

The spokesperson said no informed person should believe such lies against the assembly that was above the common standard of excellence, adding that the news was far from the reality.
He said: “The attention of the Lagos state house of assembly has been drawn to a malicious and unfounded report making the rounds on social media.

” That the assembly has secretly passed a sharia law in a deal to get Northern support for Tinubu, the APC presidential candidates.
“We will not have dignified the writer of this hate speech but in order to set the records straight, this is a mere figment of the imagination of the writer and a total lie from the pit of hell.
“No informed person should believe this lie against the assembly that is above the common standard of excellence. The news is far from reality.

“Some people are just mischievous. Spreading all sorts of untrue stuff. Is it possible to pass a law under cover?
“The process of law making is universal and very open. You cannot pass a law without subjecting it to public hearing in Lagos state.”

David urged residents of the state and Nigerians as a whole to take the peddlers of this unfounded report as uninformed, and uneducated people who needed to be schooled about the law making process.

He said Tinubu was a fast selling product across the country and does not need any law from the state to further endear him to all Nigerians.
The lawmaker said by the special grace of God, Tinubu would emerge winner of the 2023 presidential election to the shame of purveyors of the hate news

There are indications that the Lagos State Government may take over the control of the transport workers’ activities in the state.

This is based on the stand of the House of Assembly, okaying the takeover by the Lagos Parks Management Authority, over the crisis engulfing the National Union of Road Transport Workers.

The state body led by Musiliu Akinsanya has announced leaving the national after he was suspended for what the latter called insubordination and anti-union moves.

Chairman of the House Committee on Transportation, Temitope Adewale, who made the position of the Assembly known, said the legislative arm had been very proactive as it already passed a law creating the Lagos State Parking Authority, which should now oversee activities at all the parks in the State.

“The House is fully aware of developments in the transportation union and now that the crisis has resulted in the banning of NURTW activities in Lagos, it is clear to state that all parks, garages and parking activities will be under the Lagos State Parking Authority as stipulated by law,” he said.

“At the stage the NURTW has found itself, the State has to take charge of the situation to avoid a breakdown of law and order.

“By law, the state’s Parking Authority has a General Manager on whose shoulders the responsibility now falls to manage the parks at the moment.

“The law approves a General Manager for the Parking Authority. Lagosians should be calm. The situation is under control as the government takes necessary actions,” he added in a statement.

Earlier, the Sanwo-Olu government had announced the suspension of the NURTW’s activities after Oluomo called for it.

In a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy in the state, Gbenga Omotoso, the governor said, “After considering the provisions of the law, the Government hereby suspends the activities of NURTW, which must cease to operate in all parks and garages in Lagos State.

“The Government will set up a Committee to immediately take control of the parks and garages. Members of the committee will be key stakeholders in the sector.

“The Government’s position is premised on its responsibility to ensure that there is no breakdown of law and order in all parks and garages in Lagos State.”

The government has, however, said that contrary to rumours, it has not appointed Oluomo as the Parks Manager.

The Lagos State House of Assembly has honoured the outgoing Commissioner of Police, Mr Hakeem Odumosu, who is due for retirement in January 2022.
The Speaker of the House, Mudashiru Obasa, made this known when the Commissioner of Police led a team of officers to the Assembly during plenary in Lagos on Wednesday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the outgoing commissioner of police was promoted to the rank of Assistant Inspector-General of Police.
Obasa said Odumosu was honoured as the first commissioner of police to stand before the lawmakers and address the people of Lagos on his experience and issues with policing Lagos.
The speaker added that this was because he was considered to have effectively managed the security of the state.
Obasa further thanked Odumosu for his openness and responsiveness each time there were issues affecting the peace of the state.
The speaker, thereafter, kicked against the police harassment, intimidation and extortion of residents in the state.
He said: “It is important to call on those behind you to know that the relationship between the police and the people need to be constantly improved upon.”
“This is because men of the Nigeria Police Force need to build more trust among the people and make the latter know they are truly being served.
“Everybody must be treated with respect, dignity and honour and that is how we can earn our respect.
“Policing should not be about harassment and extortion but building trust among the people and making them comfortable.”
Responding, Odumosu said he would remain grateful to the state for making it possible for him and his team to effectively manage the security of the state and making it the most peaceful in the country.
The CP, who described Lagos as a mini-Nigeria, noted that the proactiveness of the Lagos Assembly resulted in the laws that have helped the police remain successful in the state.
Odumosu said the Cultism Prohibition Law has helped to reduce illegal associations in tertiary institutions in the state and also helped with adequate enlightenment of property owners and residents.
“Other laws include the Land Use Charge amendment law which has reduced the activities of land grabbers, the Anti-Open Grazing law, the Neighborhood Safety Corps law.
“This is to ensure synergy among security agencies, the Coronavirus Pandemic Law, which enforcement helped reduce the spread of COVID-19.
“We promise to continue to excel in providing water-tight security for the people of the state,” he told the lawmakers.
The CP also promised that he would encourage his successor to sustain the relationship between the police and the House while urging the lawmakers to extend their support to whoever will take over from him.
In their contributions, the lawmakers commended Odumosu for his success, adding that his experience would always be needed in the state even after his retirement.

The Lagos State House of Assembly on Thursday exuded history as they passed two major bills: the Value Added Tax Bill and Anti-Open Grazing Bill.

Both are major because they address national questions, one on fiscal federalism and the other on security.

To many pundits, the state might not be able to swiftly work in the direction it has consolidated as they felt it might want to play the politics of national correctness with it.

This is based on the impression that even if it was keen on the VAT matter, it might be deliberately sluggish on the open grazing issue, knowing that President Muhammadu Buhari is ostensibly against it.

Buhari has indeed asked the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, to recover old grazing routes.

The observers thus felt that based on the interest of the strongman of Lagos politics Asiwaju Bola Tinubu’s interest in 2023 presidential election, the Lagos establishment might want to play politics with the bills.

But it acted in contrary on Wednesday when the bills were unanimously passed, with every indication that Governoer ababjide Sanwo-Olu will swiftly assent to it.

Immediately after their passage, Speaker Obasa commended his colleagues for their passion to see that the state continues to grow.

“I thank you all for this historic exercise,” Obasa said.

A member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon Tunde Braimoh, has reacted to an allegation of financial mismanagement levelled against the Speaker, Hon Mudasiru Obasa.

Some media reports, in recent times, have been suggesting that he and the Assembly leadership have been loose with state funds on some adventures.

Among others, it is accused of blowing some N80m on a trip to Dubai for a women’s conference.

Also, he is accused of expending over N50m on another trip to the United States, just as he is accused of printing invitation cards for the Assembly’s inauguration for over N200m.

Reacting to the allegations on Friday, Braimoh, on a TVC programme, said although the Dubai trip cost N80m, it was justified based on the significance of the programme and the number of people involved.

According to him, 20 people were on the trip.

He noted that it was true that the conference was a women’s event and that only the Speaker and his deputy were male.

He said it was a five-day programme where participants had the opportunity to learn about international best practices.

On the allegation that Obasa spent millions of naira on the production of invitation cards, he said it was untrue.

According to him, the cards were printed for N1.3m.

Braimoh said, “Most of the allegations were manoeuvred, doctored and manufactured. They are meant to damage the reputation of Mr Speaker.
“Some people, when they cannot get you through the front door, they go through the back. Some people can go to any length to decimate others to get what they want. It may not even be from in-fighting, it may be an alibi. We don’t know exactly where this is coming from but it is definitely being orchestrated.”

According to him, the woman in question is married, and she is just the foreign and protocol officer to the Speaker.

“Unfortunately, she is being referred to as the Speaker’s mistress,” he said, adding that he (Braimoh) too, along some other lawmakers and civil servants, were on the trip.

“It was a trade mission towards bringing investors to the country.
It was a very successful mission. Governors of Gombe, Edo were there as it was a kind of competition or investors,” he said.